Where Tuesday’s elections get most interesting

By Steve Brawner, © 2026 by Steve Brawner Communications, Inc.

Not all political offices are equally important, and not all political races are equally interesting. As the 2026 primary elections enter their home stretch, let’s look at some of the races to watch March 3.

– Republican secretary of state. 

The SOS’s job is to administer elections at the state level, handle business filings, and maintain the State Capitol.

Three Republicans seek the spot: Sen. Kim Hammer, R-Benton; Miller County Judge Cathy Hardin Harrison; and project manager Bryan Norris of Batesville. The winner faces Democrat Kelly Grappe and Libertarian Michael Pakko in November.

Election integrity is a big issue these days, so this office may matter even more than it previously did. Furthermore, this is the only statewide primary race with more than two candidates. If neither candidate wins a majority, the top two will advance to a runoff March 31. If that happens, voter turnout will be low. Continue reading →

Libertarians choose Colt Shelby as nominee for governor

Colt Shelby of Cecil will be the Libertarian Party of Arkansas’ candidate for governor in November while Jeff Wadlin of Bentonville will be the party’s U.S. Senate nominee. 

Dr. Michael Pakko of Roland, the party’s chairman, will be its secretary of state nominee. Pakko won 4.31% of the vote in the state treasurer’s race in 2026, collecting 49,847 votes.

The governor’s race is especially important for the party because a 3% showing in November would enable it to automatically qualify for the ballot in 2028. Otherwise, the party will have to collect 10,000 qualified signatures, as it did this election cycle. 

This is the eight consecutive election cycle the party has qualified for the ballot through the signature collection process, the party said in a news release.

Shelby was chosen at the convention on Saturday, Feb. 21, in a contested race that featured three other announced candidates. He defeated the second place finisher, Micheal Kalagias of Rogers, by two votes. Kalagias is the party’s nominee for lieutenant governor. Continue reading →

Democrats Love, Xayprasith-Mays seek to face Sanders

By Steve Brawner, © 2026 by Steve Brawner Communications, Inc.

The Democratic primary for governor March 3 pits Fred Love, a state senator born in Little Rock, against Supha Xayprasith-Mays, who immigrated to Fort Smith from Laos at age 5.

Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders awaits the winner in the November general election, along with Libertarian candidate Colt Shelby. Continue reading →

Do some offices belong on the ballot?

Steve Brawner, © 2026 by Steve Brawner Communications, Inc.

Voters in Arkansas are casting primary election ballots that are probably several offices longer than they should be. 

Certain offices should definitely be elected: governor, members of Congress, mayors, city council members, county judges, quorum court members, and school boards. 

These offices either make the laws voters live under, or they have ultimate authority in administering government as the chief executive, or, in school boards’ case, they set policies for taxpayer-funded public schools. They should answer directly to the governed.

On the other hand, voters shouldn’t elect offices that perform a specific, bureaucratic function. It’s not our role, and we often don’t have enough information about the office or the candidates. Continue reading →

King’s challenger another Ballinger

vote, Mark Moore, 16-year-olds, Arkansas primaries, Goodson, photo IDThe March 3 primaries feature two state Senate primaries where Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders supports a challenger opposing a sitting Republican senator. 

Both senators voted against her administration’s proposed Franklin County prison in the last legislative session.

The two are Sen. Bryan King, R-Green Forest, of District 28, and Sen. Ronald Caldwell, R-Wynne, of District 10. King faces Bobby Ballinger, while Caldwell faces Trey Bohannan.

The support of Ballinger over King is not surprising. King is a bluntly speaking and cussedly independent senator who often clashes with Republican Party leadership – particularly Sen. Bart Hester, R-Cave Springs, the Senate president pro tempore. 

Caldwell is not an obvious thorn in the leadership’s side. But he did vote against funding the prison, which failed to make it out of the Senate last year after five votes but remains on the table.

We’ll focus on the District 28 race. It’s the third time King has faced a Ballinger. King defeated Ballinger’s dad, former state Sen. Bob Ballinger, to claim the seat in 2022. The elder Ballinger had ousted King from his state Senate seat in 2018. Continue reading →